BRUSSELS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. welcomed the European Union (EU) to join the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN), said a joint press statement following the fourth EU-U.S. Energy Council meeting here on Wednesday.

The Energy Council also welcomed the collaboration on smart grids and eMobility standards and interoperability, also in the context of the Transatlantic Economic Council, said the statement.

According to the statement, the EU-U.S. Energy Council pledged to enhance the joint and coordinated research in four priority areas: smart grids including energy storage, materials including critical materials, nuclear fusion, hydrogen and fuel cells. The Council called for further action in these areas in 2013.

The EU-U.S. Energy Council is a central component of the EU-U.S. energy relations, designed to promote transparent and secure global energy markets, foster co-operation on regulatory frameworks that encourage the efficient and sustainable use of energy, and to identify joint research priorities that promote clean energy technologies.

Wednesday's Council meeting was co-chaired by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.